This invention concerns the technical sector regarding the supplying of containers to an automatic machine, preferably in a sterile environment.
More in particular, it concerns a method, and the relative apparatus, for the ordered supply of initially loosely-arranged containers to a sterile machine, for example, for filling the containers.
Mechanical-pneumatic sorter apparatuses are known which receive loosely arranged vials and synchronizedly supply machines operating in a sterile environment downstream.
These machines consist of a hopper, which receives loosely arranged vials and cooperates with an inclined rotating disc peripherally provided with a series of suitably-shaped seatings which receive a single vial at a time.
The diameter of the rotating disc varies between 100 and 150 cm, according to production capacity, and is constituted by a series of sectors which are assembled together.
The loosely-arranged vials are concentrated in the lower part of the rotating inclined disc, and, with the assistance of obstacles, deviators and pneumatic blowers, they are guided towards the peripheral seatings, the vials being inserted into the seatings in a completely random way.
A second fixed disc is provided inferiorly of the rotating disc, which second fixed disc allows the peripheral seatings to be partially closed, thereby retaining the vials which are contained in the seatings.
In the upper part of the rotating inclined disk, the second fixed disc is open at a station for transferring, where the vials contained in the peripheral seatings are released, arranged vertically, onto an underlying conveyor belt, preferably of the aspirated type.
The vials are transferred onto the conveyor belt in a non-synchronized way because of the possible presence of empty seatings, that is, seatings with no vials, and therefore the vials cannot directly supply a machine, for example a filling machine.
Therefore a further device for synchronizing the vials must be interposed between the filling machine and the aspirated conveyor belt.
When a vial format changeover takes place, it is necessary to substitute the whole disc, that is, all of its component sectors, and the relative shaped peripheral seatings.
Format changeover for vials handled by similar mechanical-pneumatic sorting machines is extremely expensive and difficult from both the point of view of the costs and sterilization.
From the financial point of view in fact, since each format requires a large number of components, with their attendant bulk, long downtimes must be reckoned with for dismantling and fitting the components.
As far as sterilization is concerned, the large number of components necessary for each format means long, laborious and expensive sterilization stages.